Gripping or clamping mechanisms
A clamping mechanism having two or more jaws which may be opened to allow a tubular to be introduced within the jaws and closed to retain the tubular therewithin. The rollers are located within concave recesses and maintained in spaced apart relationship by biasing means, whereby rotation of tubular may cause the rollers to be wedged between a wall of the recess and the tubular to grip the tubular within the jaws. The clamping mechanism may be utilized as an oil field tubular clamp, a slip, a pipe clamp, and other mechanisms. There is also disclosed a clutch comprising an outer race, a cage, and an inner ring. Recesses are provided in an outer race and accommodate rollers therewith and maintained in spaced apart relationship by the cage. The cage may be moved by an actuator to selectively allow free wheeling or prevent rotation. A socket ratchet incorporating such a clutch is also disclosed.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/099,087, filed Mar. 15, 2002, now abandoned, which was a continuation of PCT patent application No. PCT/NZ00/00181, filed Sep. 15, 2000, which claims the benefit of New Zealand patent application serial number 337898, filed Sep. 17, 1999 and which claims the benefit of New Zealand patent application serial number 515919, filed Dec. 4, 2001. Each of the aforementioned related patent applications is herein incorporated by reference.
THE TECHNICAL FIELDThis invention relates to gripping or clamping mechanisms, typically (although not exclusively) for use in the oil field industry.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe sprague clutch is commonly employed as a one-directional clutch, for example in vehicle transmissions.
When inner ring 105 is rotated clockwise with respect to body 100 rollers 103 are urged by inner ring 105 in a clockwise direction. Due to inclined ramp surfaces 102 rollers 103 become wedged between ramp surfaces 102 and inner ring 105. Clockwise rotational force is therefore transferred between outer race 100 and inner ring 105 through rollers 103. When inner ring 105 is rotated anticlockwise with respect to outer race 100 rollers 103 move anticlockwise with respect to outer race 100. This frees the rollers and inner ring 105 is able to rotate relatively freely with respect to outer race 100.
A modified design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,950 in which roller recesses having a double cam-profile are utilized. Rollers 30 are also located within a cage 40. The double earn profile 21 enables the clutch to work in either direction. When shaft 10 and outer race 20 are wedged together by rollers 30, cage 40 is driven via shaft 10 and rollers 30. Power is thus transferred via shaft 10, rollers 30 and cage 40. This clutch arrangement works automatically so that relative rotation of shaft 10 in outer race 20 causes rollers 30 to lock them together and cage 40 is driven thereby.
During tubular running operations or well operations it is necessary to grip an oil field tubular, such as a drill string, to hold one section whilst another section is rotated relative thereto to assemble or disassemble a string. A number of automated devices for handling drill pipes are known such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,079.
Standard oil field tubulars are relatively robust and prior art clamping mechanisms have included toothed jaws or other means which apply a high force to a relatively small area of the tubular. As standard drill string is formed of relatively uniform steel this does not pose a major problem. However, some modern drill strings are formed of special materials, such as high alloy steel pipe (e.g. 13 Cr), and handling by conventional clamping mechanisms can damage them. Such damage may reduce the life of the drill string and reduce the advantage gained from any surface coating or treatment.
For example, conventional methods of gripping a downhole tubular are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,549 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,453. Gripping members with sharp teeth are forced into engagement with the tubular. A problem with this method is that the teeth cause permanent deformation of the tubular. In certain circumstances this can present serious problems. For instance, in a sour gas well, corrosive gases such as Hydrogen Sulphide and Carbon Dioxide will be present. If the tubular is formed with a material such as Chromium, these gases will corrode the tubular more quickly if the tubular has a rough deformed surface.
The situation is problematic as the clamping mechanisms must restrain oil field tubulars against high torques (up to 300,000 foot pounds) in a dirty and greasy environment. Further, the tubulars may vary in diameter, ovality, wall thickness, material etc. The tubulars may also be dented, rusty or have surface scale.
A number of tools include ratchet mechanisms to allow free rotation in only one selected direction. Such tools include wrenches for socket sets, screw drivers, braces etc. In some situations, especially with wrenches, there is very limited space to move a tool. In some cases the ratchet steps may be so coarse that it is not possible to move between one ratchet position to the next. This may make it impossible to use a tool in a confined space.
Pipe clamps typically include jaws which grip a pipe to be retained. As with oil field tubulars this may result in marking of the pipe. It would be desirable to provide a pipe clamp which is able to resist high rotational forces without damaging the pipe.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the invention to provide an improved gripping or clamping mechanism or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a clamping mechanism including:
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- a plurality of jaws which may be moved apart to allow an object to be positioned within the jaws and moved together to substantially encompass the object; and
- a plurality of rollers retained about the mouths of the jaws between the jaws and the object, the arrangement being such that when the jaws are closed about an object rotation of the rollers against the object enclosed within the jaws may cause the rollers to move into positions in which they are wedged between the jaws and the object so that the object is gripped by the clamping mechanism.
The rollers are preferably retained by positioning means which allow the rollers to be rotated with respect to the jaws to bring the rollers into a position in which they may be wedged between the jaws and an object to be gripped. The positioning means is preferably a cage formed in sections corresponding to the jaw sections.
The rollers may locate within ramped recesses formed in the jaws. For rotational gripping the rollers will be axially aligned and for longitudinal gripping the rollers will be transversely aligned. The recesses containing the rollers may have a ramp in only one direction or ramps in both directions to facilitate gripping for both directions of rotation.
Alternatively, the rollers may be asymmetric elements known as “dog bones”. Where dog bones are employed the inner jaw surface and object to be gripped may have a substantially circular cross-section.
The jaws may be formed in two or more parts. They may be hingedly connected or translated into and out of their closed configuration. The jaw sections may interengage at their edges and include means to lock the jaw sections together. A split pin arrangement through overlapping fingers may be employed.
Preferably, positioning means retains the rollers in spaced apart relation about the jaws wherein the positioning means may selectively rotate the gripping elements with respect to the jaws so as to cause the rollers to become wedged between the jaws and a gripped element.
The positioning means is preferably a cage to which the rollers are mounted and which may be rotated with respect to the gripping surface. The rollers may co-operate with ramp surfaces formed in the gripping surface.
A second aspect of the invention provides gripping apparatus comprising a plurality of rollers which taper axially from a relatively narrow end to a relatively wide end; and a body having a cam surface which is shaped so as to urge the rollers against a gripped member, when in use, when the rollers translate axially with respect to the cam surface, and which is also shaped so as to urge the rollers against the gripped member when the rollers roll along the cam surface.
The use of tapered rollers provides a number of advantages compared to parallel-sided rollers. Firstly, the rollers can provide resistance to both axial and rotational forces. Secondly, the system is more flexible because the rollers can be engaged in two different ways (that is, by sliding axially or by rolling). Thirdly, the apparatus can accommodate different gripped members with a wider variety of sizes. Fourthly, the rollers can be more densely packed because a smaller amount of rolling movement needs to be accommodated. Fifthly, axial engagement of the rollers can be achieved more easily using a linear drive device such as a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.
Preferably the apparatus further comprises an actuator for generating relative axial and/or rolling movement between the rollers and the cam surface to urge the rollers against the gripped member.
The actuator may engage the rollers and/or the cam surface. The cam surface or the rollers may remain stationary during the relative movement. In a preferred embodiment, the rollers are moved by a cage coupled to a hand operated lever. Alternatively, the actuator may include a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.
Preferably the actuator comprises a plurality of resilient members, such as leaf springs, each coupled with a respective roller. The resilient members can then flex by different amounts if one of the rollers becomes stuck.
The angle of taper of the rollers may vary, but preferably is approximately constant along the length of the rollers.
The rollers may have a non-circular (e.g. elliptical) cross-section but typically are substantially circular in cross-section.
Most preferably the rollers are substantially frustoconical.
In one embodiment all of the rollers taper in the same direction. In another embodiment the direction of taper of the rollers alternates between successive rollers. This ‘top-and-tail’ arrangement permits the rollers to be packed more densely.
Typically the cam surface is formed with a plurality of recesses, each recess receiving a respective roller.
The body may comprise a single fixed piece, or may comprise two or more jaws which can be opened to admit the gripped member.
A further aspect of the invention provides apparatus for gripping a downhole tubular comprising gripping apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the invention.
A further aspect of the invention provides a socket wrench comprising gripping apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention. This provides an alternative application for the apparatus. In this case, the gripped member is an integral part of the apparatus, and comprises one or more sockets, typically hexagonal shaped.
A further aspect of the invention provides a method of handling a downhole tubular comprising gripping the tubular with a plurality of gripping members arranged circumferentially around the pipe; and transferring rotational and/or longitudinal forces to or from the tubular, wherein the tubular is gripped in such a manner so as not to exceed the elastic deformation limit of the tubular while the forces are being transferred.
The advantage of this aspect of the invention is that it substantially avoids permanent deformation of the tubular.
Typically the method comprises urging the gripping members against the tubular by a wedging action. This wedging action tends to spread the gripping force over a relatively wide area, thus avoiding excessive deformation of the tubular.
Typically the gripping member comprises a roller. The roller may have a wide variety of shapes including cylindrical, frustoconical, spherical or asymmetric—for instance the ‘dog bone’ shape shown in
The gripping method may be employed during a variety of downhole operations. For example the tubular may be gripped while it is coupled (for instance by screwing) with an additional length of downhole tubular. Typically the maximum deformation of the tubular is greater than 10% and less than 100% of the elastic limit.
A further aspect of the invention provides a method of handling a downhole tubular comprising gripping the tubular with a plurality of rollers arranged circumferentially around the tubular; and transferring rotational and/or longitudinal forces to or from the tubular.
A further aspect of the invention provides apparatus for gripping a downhole tubular comprising a plurality of rollers; and a body having a cam surface which is shaped so as to urge the rollers against a downhole tubular, when in use, when the rollers roll along the cam surface.
The apparatus according to the various aspects of the invention is particularly suited to use in gripping or clamping a downhole tubular. The downhole tubular may be pipe casing, a drill string, or any other tubular associated with subterranean operations, typically in the oilfield industry.
For instance the apparatus may be of use in a power tong for gripping and rotating the downhole tubular, a backup for gripping and securing the downhole tubular against rotational movement, or in an elevator for securing the downhole tubular against axial and rotational movement.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Rollers 4 are biased apart by springs 6. When jaws 1 and 2 are closed around a tubular member 5, as shown in
The dashed roller 8 in
It will be apparent that rotation in the opposite direction will cause roller 8 to be wedged between opposite ramp surface 10 and tubular member 5. The clamping mechanism can thus restrain rotation of tubular member 5 in both directions.
For a relatively smooth tubular member 5 the above mechanism may be satisfactorily. If rollers 4 are biased towards tubular member 5 by springs 6 then rotation of tubular member 5 will move rollers 4 relatively consistently into their wedged positions. Where the surface of the tubular 5 is uneven it is desirable to move the rollers so that each roller is wedged between the jaws 1 and 2 and the tubular 5.
A number of positioning means could be used to position the rollers ranging from cages through to magnetic retention means.
In
When the cage is rotated clockwise with respect to outer race 33 rollers 37 are urged by springs 38 in a clockwise direction so that they become wedged between ramp surface 39 and inner ring 35. In this position inner ring 35 is restricted from clockwise rotation relative to outer race 33. Due to the double wedge profile of the recesses 36 it will be appreciated that relative rotation of ring 35 in the anticlockwise direction can be restrained by anticlockwise rotation of cage 34 with respect to outer race 33 to position rollers 37 adjacent the opposite ramp surfaces.
This arrangement has the advantage that the clutch may be selectively operated. It also allows the clutch to operate in a free wheeling mode whilst selectively restraining rotation in either direction.
Referring now to
Actuator 48 has a pin 49 which engages with cage 46. Actuator 48 is shown in its neutral position but can be moved to the left or right so that pin 49 moves cage 46 to the left or right so that the clutch mechanism can be adjusted to prevent relative rotation of inner race 45 with respect to handle 44 in either direction. A spring loaded ball 48a engages with notches 48b to retain cage actuator 48 in the desired position.
It will be appreciated that this arrangement enables a socket tool to be used in very confined spaces due to the minimal handle rotation required to produce rotation of bolt head 45a.
Referring now to
The inner faces of jaws 11 and 12 adjacent cage assemblies 15 and 17 have recesses formed therein, similar to the recesses 3 shown in
Jaws 11 and 12 may pivot away from each other about rods 13 and 14 so that the jaws may open. This enables a tubular member 21 to be laterally introduced between the jaws and the jaws closed to retain the tubular member 21 therewithin. Jaw 11 (as shown in
As best shown in
Each of the fingers 23 and 25 are seen to include a locking pin section 29 having a respective groove 30 formed therein (one of which is indicated). When the locking assembly 26 is in the raised position, shown in
When the locking assembly is forced down so that plate 32 abuts arms 11 and 12 the locking pin sections 29 are positioned so as to be located entirely within the bore of a single finger 23 or 25. This allows the distal ends of arms 11 and 12 to be separated and the clamping mechanism to be opened.
In use, jaws 11 and 12 are pivoted apart so as to provide an opening which will allow a tubular member to be introduced laterally within the clamping mechanism. Jaws 11 and 12 are then pivoted towards one another and locking mechanism 26 is lifted so as to lock the distal ends of arms 11 and 12 together (as shown in
When cages 15 and 17 are in their initial positions rollers 16 and 18 are positioned adjacent the apexes of the recesses formed in the jaws. This allows a tubular 21 to be rotated in either direction. When it is desired to grip tubular 21, cages 15 and 17 are rotated relative to jaws 11 and 12 in the direction in which rotation is to be restrained. This brings rollers 16 and 18 into engagement with their respective ramp surfaces so as to wedge rollers 16 and 18 between tubular 21 and jaws 11 and 12. To release tubular 21 it may be rotated in the opposite direction and locking mechanism 26 lowered to open the jaws.
The axial length of each jaw 11, 12 will typically be in a range of from 10 to one times the nominal pipe diameter. The roller element 16 will typically have a diameter of from 0.01 to 0.5 times the nominal pipe diameter. The axial length of the roller elements 16 will preferably be between 0.1 to twice the nominal pipe diameter.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In use jaws 73 and 74 may be translated apart to allow a tubular 77 to be laterally introduced. Jaws 73 and 74 may then be closed and secured together. Rollers 75 and 76 may be retained within respective cages. The cages may be maintained at an elevated position whilst jaws 73 and 74 are closing and be urged downwardly, perhaps by gravity, once jaws 73 and 74 are closed. As guides 78 and 79 taper inwardly towards the bottoms of the jaws rollers 75 and 76 will thus be wedged between tubular 77 and jaws 73 and 74 as tubular 77 is pulled down. This arrangement could be substituted for a conventional slip assembly.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In another embodiment the outer profile of jaw bodies 113 may taper from the top to the bottom and the jaws may be received in a body, having a bore of a profile corresponding to the outer profile of the jaws. In this way the jaws close about a tubular as the jaws are located within the bore in the body.
Referring now to
Jaw 111 has associated rollers 120 and 121 which locate within recesses 122 and 123 of jaw 111. Rollers are likewise provided in recesses in the other jaw sections.
Jaw sections 113 and 114 are connected together by a latch 124. This enables the part clamp to be fitted about a pipe and then secured together by latch 124 securing together jaws 113 and 114. Additional jaw sections may also be inserted between jaw sections 113 and 114 to allow larger pipes to be gripped.
In use, the jaw sections are fitted about a pipe and latch 124 secures jaw sections 113 and 114 together. Handle 110 may then be rotated about the pipe. This causes pivot points 115 and 116 to move with respect to one another so as to tighten the jaw sections about the pipe 125. This forces rollers 120 and 121 etc. tightly into recesses 122 and 123 so as to firmly retain pipe 125 with respect to the pipe clamp. The use of rollers 120 and 121 minimizes any damage to the pipe.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Although the clamping mechanism has been described in relation to the clamping of oil field tubulars it is to be appreciated that it may have application in other areas also. The clamping mechanism may be incorporated into a hand tool to grip sections of pipe. A ratchet system may be incorporated to allow incremental rotation.
It will thus be seen that the invention provides a clamping mechanism suitable for restraining a tubular against high rotational torques in either direction without damaging the tubular. The clamping mechanism may be incorporated within existing tongs of oil field tubular handling apparatus. The clamping mechanism may be operated quickly and easily and requires no lubrication.
The clutch of the invention is selectively actuateable and may operate in either direction. The clutch may be incorporated as an emergency brake on a vehicle drive shaft, conveyor system etc or where a temporary brake is required and the shaft end is not accessible.
Referring now to the embodiments of
Referring to
Referring to
Each cage 210,211 can be driven downwards against the force of the return spring 225 by a respective actuation mechanism. Only the actuation mechanism driving cage 211 will be described. The mechanism comprises an L-shaped actuation arm 230 pivotally mounted to the jaw 203 by a rose joint 231. Referring to
As the roller 247 slides axially down to its engaged position, the correspondingly tapered inner cam surface 236 of the jaw 202 wedges the roller against the pipe string. This secures the pipe string against relative axial movement.
Preferably the internal angle of taper 237 of the cam surface 236 and the roller is greater than 0 degrees and less than 60 degrees. More preferably the internal angle of taper 237 is in the range of 3 to 5 degrees. The angle of the taper is exaggerated in the drawings for purposes of illustration.
The cam surface 236 is formed with a series of V-shaped recesses 238 arranged around the circumference of the bore 239 which receive the rollers, as shown in the plan view of
However, the pipe string only needs to deform a small amount in order to firmly grip the rollers. Therefore, the pipe casing 208 is not deformed beyond its elastic deformation limit (either during initial gripping or when the pipe casing is being rotated) and when the rollers are released to the non-engaging position of
It will be appreciated that the range of movement of the rollers 247, and the degree of deformation of the pipe string 208, have both been exaggerated in
The actuation mechanism shown in
In an alternative arrangement illustrated in
In a further alternative arrangement, two different actuation mechanisms (not shown) are provided—one to drive the rollers downwards, and another to rotate the rollers. The roller mounting system for such a mechanism is shown in
Referring to FIGS. 23,23a and 24-the gripping mechanism 201 is mounted, in use, in a tong 250. The mechanism 201 is housed between a pair of adapter plates 251. Pipe string 208 is introduced by opening gate 253 and jaws 202,203 (see
In use, an existing pipe string (not shown) is received in a borehole and axially supported by a slip elevator (not shown). In order to attach an additional length of pipe string 208, the existing pipe string is secured against torque by a set of backup jaws (not shown) and the additional length 208 is gripped by the tong 250 and screwed into the existing pipe string. Large torques are required to ensure a gas tight seal between the coupled lengths of pipe string.
It will be appreciated that the mechanism of
In a further alternative arrangement shown in
Each cage is driven up or down by a respective actuation mechanism (not shown), and is mounted in a respective cage groove 277,278 containing a return spring 279,280, shown in
The rollers 271 are urged against the pipe casing by a correspondingly tapered cam surface 281 with a V-shaped recess shown in
An advantage of the arrangement of
Referring to
A generally cylindrical socket member 308 is formed with a large hexagonal socket 309 on one side and a small hexagonal socket 310 on the other side. The member 308 has a series of holes arranged around its periphery each housing a coil spring and indent ball 311,312.
The rollers 307 can be engaged with the member 308 in two ways. In one alternative, by pushing the member 308 with the thumb in a direction indicated by arrow A (while holding the handle 301 still), the member 308 moves the indent ball 311 which engages the cage flange 304. The cage then engages the rollers 307 and slides them along cam surface 312. The cam surface 312 forces the rollers against the member 308 to lock the member 308 in place. A nut can then be received in either of the sockets 309,310 and rotated by rotating the handle 301 in either direction. The rollers can be disengaged by pushing the member 308 in the opposite direction to arrow A with the thumb.
In a second alternative, the rollers can be engaged by rotating the cage with an actuating handle 313. The handle 313 can be moved to the left or right (as viewed in
A slip type elevator is shown in
The upper layer of rollers 330 is confined by a guide 322 shown in
If the pipe string 321 is rotated, the rollers roll up their V-shaped recesses in the cam surface (shown in
The mechanism shown in
Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to integers or components having known equivalents then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.
Although this invention has been described by way of example it is to be appreciated that improvements and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A jaw assembly for gripping a wellbore tubular, the jaw assembly comprising:
- a plurality of gripping members each having a substantially circular cross-section;
- a gripping member support structure including a plurality of gripping member retainer recesses spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the gripping member support structure, wherein each retainer recess includes a first ramp surface and a second ramp surface that are oblique relative to the longitudinal axis of the gripping member support structure and wherein each retainer recess is configured to hold at least one gripping member, and the at least one gripping member is capable of moving along the ramp surfaces, and
- a lever movable between a first position, a second position and a third position, wherein
- the lever in the first position causes the at least one gripping member to engage a portion of the first ramp surface, and as a result of the engagement, the wellbore tubular is prevented from moving relative to the jaw assembly in a first direction;
- the lever in the second position causes the at least one gripping member to engage a portion of the second ramp surface, and as a result of the engagement, the wellbore tubular is prevented from moving relative to the jaw assembly in a second direction;
- the lever in the third position causes the at least one gripping member to be positioned between the ramp surfaces which allows the wellbore tubular free movement relative to the jaw assembly.
2. The jaw assembly of claim 1, wherein the jaw assembly is a slip.
3. The jaw assembly of claim 2, wherein the gripping prevents axial relative movement of the tubular.
4. The jaw assembly of claim 2, wherein the lever is pivotally attached to the gripping member support structure.
5. The jaw assembly of claim 4, wherein the lever selectively controls the capability of the wellbore tubular to move relative to the slip.
6. The jaw assembly of claim 1, wherein the gripping members are operable to grip the wellbore tubular axially.
7. A jaw assembly for gripping a wellbore tubular, the jaw assembly comprising:
- a plurality of gripping members;
- a gripping member support structure including a first retainer recess at a first position along a longitudinal axis of the support structure and a second retainer recess at a second different position along the longitudinal axis of the support structure, wherein each retainer recess includes a first ramp surface and a second ramp surface and each retainer recess is configured to receive at least one gripping member; and
- a lever operatively attached to the plurality of gripping members, wherein
- the lever in a first position causes the at least one gripping member to engage the first ramp surface which results in the wellbore tubular being prevented from moving relative to the jaw assembly in a first direction;
- the lever in a second position causes the at least one gripping member to engage the second ramp surface which results in the wellbore tubular being prevented from moving relative to the jaw assembly in a second direction;
- the lever in a third position causes the at least one gripping member to be positioned between the ramp surfaces which results in the wellbore tubular being allowed free movement relative to the jaw assembly.
8. The jaw assembly of claim 7, wherein the jaw assembly is a slip and the lever selectively controls the capability of the wellbore tubular to move relative to the slip.
9. A gripping device, comprising:
- a plurality of gripping members each having a substantially circular cross-section;
- a gripping member support structure including a first retainer recess at a first position along a longitudinal axis of the support structure and a second retainer recess at a second different position along the longitudinal axis of the support structure, wherein each retainer recess includes a first ramp surface and a second ramp surface that are inclined at substantially the same angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the support structure and wherein each retainer recess is configured to receive at least one gripping member and wherein a cage is disposed adjacent to the gripping member support structure and moveable relative thereto,
- an actuator operatively coupled to at least one of the gripping member support structure and the cage, wherein
- the actuator in a first position causes the at least one gripping member to engage a portion of the first ramp surface which results in the wellbore tubular being prevented from moving relative to the gripping device in a first direction;
- the actuator in a second position causes the at least one gripping member to engage a portion of the second ramp surface which results in the wellbore tubular being prevented from moving relative to the gripping device in a second direction;
- the actuator in a third position causes the at least one gripping member to be positioned between the ramp surfaces which results in the wellbore tubular being allowed free movement relative to the gripping device.
10. A jaw assembly for gripping a wellbore tubular, the jaw assembly comprising:
- a plurality of gripping members;
- a gripping member support structure including a plurality of gripping member retainer recesses in an inner surface thereof, wherein each retainer recess includes two ramp surfaces;
- a cage disposed adjacent to the gripping member support structure and moveable relative thereto, the cage configured to interconnect the gripping members and move the gripping members relative to the gripping member support structure; and
- an actuator configured to move the cage between an upper position, a middle position and a lower position, wherein the cage in the upper position causes the at least one gripping member in the respective retainer recess to engage a portion of one ramp surface which restricts the movement of the wellbore tubular relative to the jaw assembly in a first direction, the cage in the lower position causes the at least one gripping member in the respective retainer recess to engage a portion of the other ramp surface which restricts the movement of the wellbore tubular from moving relative to the jaw assembly in a second opposite direction, and the cage in the middle position causes the at least one gripping member in the respective retainer recess to be positioned between the first and second ramp surfaces which allows movement of the wellbore tubular relative to the jaw assembly in either direction.
11. The jaw assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of gripping member retainer recesses comprises at least two substantially parallel rows spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the gripping member support structure.
12. The jaw assembly of claim 11, wherein the two ramp surfaces are oblique relative to the longitudinal axis of the gripping member support structure.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Mar 24, 2005
Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
Patent Publication Number: 20050160881
Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc. (Houston, TX)
Inventor: David Niven (Merrilands)
Primary Examiner: D. S. Meislin
Attorney: Patterson & Sheridan, L.L.P.
Application Number: 11/088,412
International Classification: B25B 13/46 (20060101);